About 50 female Facebook users across Tamil Nadu have been allegedly lured and sexually harassed by a four-member gang from Pollachi, near Coimbatore, according to police. While the case emerged three weeks back after a complaint was filed by one of the victims and this had led to the arrest of a total of eight people in two separate cases registered, the issue took a political turn on Monday with opposition alleging role of senior AIADMK leaders in the case as the Lok Sabha election is round the corner.
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A senior police officer monitoring the investigation said the four youth, all in their 20s, were arrested in the last week of February for allegedly blackmailing and sexually harassing a 19-year-old-girl in Pollachi.

“Victim’s complaint said that one of the four youth spoke to her on Facebook and they became friends. On February 12, both of them had decided to meet during the lunch break in her college. As she met him and entered into his car, three of his friends too joined them. Soon after the car started moving, the youth who invited her had started harassing her sexually while others took videos. They used this video later to blackmail her for more such meetings and money,” the officer said.

Police said they have seized four cellphones from the accused and it had videos and photographs of about 50 women. “They lured women with fake female accounts on Facebook. In most of the cases, they struck a conversation with victims asking doubts on lesbianism and other sex-related topics. After they make a friendship, conversations turn into sexual chats and later they reveal the true identity and force them to meet in person citing their chats. They harassed women on moving vehicles, hotels and even a farm house near Anamalai forest. Victims are from Chennai, Coimbatore, Salem and many parts of Tamil Nadu and they include school and college teachers, doctors, Plus Two and college students,” the officer said.